“Child marriage is devastating for a young girl,” says Memory. “This means the end of an education, the girl will have no say in terms of body rights, or the choice to make children, and she will always be dependent on her husband.”

Motivated by her sister’s story, Memory joined an incredible group of youth campaigners, supported by Plan International, who have been challenging government to outlaw the practice of child marriage in Malawi.

Youth winning the fight against a harmful practice

In 2015, the youth campaigners secured a huge victory when parliament increased the minimum age for marriage in Malawi from 15 to 18 years. However, the new law was undermined by the country’s constitution, and it contained a provision that allowed children to be married from age 16 with a parent’s consent.

So, the youth got back to work and began a global petition to amend this constitutional loophole.

The petition received over 42,000 signatures from people in over 30 different countries, and it was formally presented to the First Lady of Malawi in 2016.

Then in February 2017, after months of rallying and deliberation, a historic constitutional amendment was announced – the practice of child marriage was fully outlawed in Malawi, and the legal loophole was removed.

“This is a momentous change for future generations of Malawi,” says Lilly Omondi, Country Director for Plan International Malawi. “We are so pleased that young people have played a huge part in this success.”

And Memory couldn’t agree more.

“We [the youth] worked with the government to amend the constitution of our country to help end child marriage – once and for all” she says.

A huge victory for girls’ rights

Without child marriage, girls can access their rights to a brighter future!

About Plan International

Founded in 1937, we are one of the world’s oldest and largest international development agencies, working in partnership with millions of people around the world to end global poverty. Not for profit, independent and inclusive of all faiths and cultures, we have only one agenda: to improve the lives of children.